Henjak's departure - blunder or bold?

So as I'm sure you've all heard, Ivan Henjak has been released from the Broncos effective immediately. With the season a mere 17 days away, this could either be a master stroke or the start of an empire crumbling. Only time will tell which of the two it is but yours truly is going to go out on a limb and say that it can only be positive.

Henjak admittedly stepped into the biggest shoes in Rugby League when Wayne Bennett departed for the Red and White Army. He inherited the most successful club in recent League history and had enormous weight on his shoulders. Serving a succession period under Bennett should have put him in good stead but the reality was he had to prove himself. It's pretty obvious that he failed that test. For the first time in 18 proud years, we missed the top 8 and had Mad Monday early. Several tactical errors were made during the year, mainly the constant positional shifting of Matt Gillett - a first year NRL player should be left to ply his trade in one position, not three. Thankfully his development hasn't been hindered too much it seems.

The big question being posed by punters is was this the right time to sack our coach with the season being a mere 2 weeks away. While I applaud the decision as the crew here have been vocally against Ivan the Terrible for a while now, the timing has to be questioned. Stability is what every club needs - Cronulla are walking proof of that - and Brisbane are in desperate need of it. Having a look over the past few seasons and the players that have left (Petero, Boyd, Eastwood to name a few) you'd think that we'd want to steady the ship after our worst premiership tilt in recent memory. That being said, something seems a little strange considering that Henjak had to sign an NDA in the sacking. Either something reprehensible has happened or the Broncos are set to sign a big name next season and didn't want Henjak killing our buzz for another 8 months.

Brisbane's trial form has been phenomenal and this was punctuated with an absolute drubbing of the Cowboys. Time will tell whether this sudden change disrupts the chi of my beloved Broncos. I think our side has enough professionalism to keep on trucking but we'll see.

Stay tuned for a preview of the Broncos vs. Cowboys match in round 1 of the NRL.

All-Stars vs. Indigenous Preview

Well, it's that time of year. I get excited for two reasons - the business end of the English Premier League is approaching but far more importantly, the NRL season is not far away. Trial games are happening, the Charity Shield is almost here and since 2010, the NRL All-Stars vs. Indigenous All-Stars game.

I'll be honest, when I first heard of the concept of the All-Stars I wasn't a fan. An early game that has no bearing on anything is simply an opportunity for pre-season injuries. I rated it as about as important as that useless match, the World Club Challenge. While I still think that it presents an opportunity for key players to get injured (hellooooo, Darren Lockyer?!), it also provides a platform for the season and provides a chance for Indigenous Australia to showcase their ability in Rugby League. Now let's get down to business...

Indigenous All-Stars


20. Matt Bowen, 2. Nathan Merritt, 3. Willie Tonga, 4. Beau Champion, 5, Jharal Yow Yeh, 6. Scott Prince, 7. Johnathan Thurston (c), 8. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, 9. Travis Waddell, 10. George Rose, 11. Cory Paterson, 12. Jamal Idris, 13. Greg Bird, 14. Ben Barba, 15. Jamie Soward, 16. Carl Webb, 17. Joel Moon, 18. Joel Thompson, 19. Ryan James, 21 Anthony Mitchell. Coach – Laurie Daley.


NRL All-Stars


1. Josh Dugan, 2. Akuila Uate, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Jamie Lyon, 5. Brett Morris, 6. Darren Lockyer (c), 7. Benji Marshall, 8. Ben Hannant, 9. Cameron Smith, 10. Matthew Scott, 11. Nathan Hindmarsh, 12. Liam Fulton, 13. Paul Gallen, 14, Dave Taylor, 15. Ashley Harrison, 16. Feleti Mateo, 17. Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 18. Michael Ennis, 19. Petero Civoniceva, 20. Kurt Gidley. Coach – Wayne Bennett.


Now what is more exciting than seeing Matt Bowen, Jonathan Thurston, Jamal Idris, Michael Jennings, Darren Lockyer and co. in action? While there is a definite risk with Lockyer, Thaiday and Yow Yeh running around with the game as their first under their belt, I think it will be an absolute electric game. The game is also voted by the fans and that can be seen pretty clearly with the selections of Ben Barba and Liam Fulton. But you know what? I don't care. Bring it on!